Charles Dahl was a writer, poet, and traveler from Swagen. His journals regarding his journeys in the Jia Dynasty are of great interest as his acute observations provide an insight into the culture of this civilization:

Journal #3 - White City

White City! A metropolis renowned for its luxury, marketplaces, and restaurants. It is the only city of the Jia Dynasty that can rival the Imperial Capital. Indeed, some of the most luxurious establishments of the city can rival the Imperial Court itself. The White City is the political, economic, military and cultural center of the south, a region far more urbanized and rich than the sparsely populated north. Its population actually surpasses in size that of the capital. It is home to some of the best artists and literati in all of the Jia Dynasty. Its merchants are known for their riches that allow them to buy large estates in the countryside.

The city has a history that predates the Jia Dynasty by almost a thousand years. It was established during the time of the ancient Wei Dynasty. Wei Gaozu, the founder of the Wei Dynasty, began his campaign of unification of the continent from a small village in the place where the great city is now situated. With the blessings of the Jade Emperor, who granted him the Mandate of Heaven, Wei Gaozu crushed his opponents in a series of destructive campaigns. His 'White Army', named so after their white armor, defeated the other warlords and allowed him to found the Wei Dynasty that was to rule the continent for a thousand years before collapsing into civil war and being replaced by the current Jia Dynasty.

Wei Gaozu, after the completion of his unification, honored his village by construction in that place his new imperial capital. The veterans of the 'White Army' were encouraged to establish themselves in the newly founded city and given free housing, a clever policy which allowed the Emperor to demobilize part of this vast and overly expensive army without causing social unrest. As most of its initial inhabitants belonged to 'White Army', the city was named after them. For almost a thousand years, White City was the capital of the Wei Dynasty. Many Wei Emperors constructed monumental buildings, giving to the city its grandeur. As mentioned above, the Wei Dynasty finally collapsed after a thousand years. For fifty years chaos reigned in the continent and the White City suffered a decline in prestige, population, and economic prowess.

When Jia Gaozu established his Jia Dynasty, he moved the empire's capital north, to the city that is known today as 'Imperial Capital'. White City thus declined further. Yet, thanks to the peace accomplished by the reunification of the realm, White City began a slow but steady recovery. Although it was no longer the seat of government, the prestige it had and its position as the administrative center of the richer and more urbanized south allowed the city to reclaim its old glory. Now it is considered second only to the Imperial Capital and its prideful citizens are only too happy to remind others that their city is older and has a far more prestigious history.

The city's marketplaces have all kinds of goods; curries, spices, herbs, silk, gems. Many of the traders here make whole fortunes. Their sons, educated by the best teachers thanks to their wealth, now staff most of the government offices in the south. But the best part about White City is the food. Its restaurants are the best in the entire Jia Dynasty. I can personally testify to that. I have never tasted a more delicious chicken or eaten a better shark fin in my life, and I can assure the reader that I have traveled in many places and have tasted many kinds of food. The service is also excellent. The employees of those establishments treat you like a king and make sure that you have the finest time in your life. No wonder restaurants are always full regardless of what hour it is. If there is one part of the Jia Dynasty where there is no decline, it is White City.